Giants Re-Sign QB Jesse Palmer

[Mr. P]

 

Jesse Palmer decided the grass was greenest in Giants Stadium.

 

After examining his options as an unrestricted free agent, Palmer today signed a new contract with the team and will compete with recently-acquired Jim Miller to be team's No. 2 quarterback behind second-year starter Eli Manning.

 

"I think the environment here is great," Palmer said today, as the Giants opened their offseason conditioning program. "Everybody has the right attitude. It's a first-class organization. I feel very comfortable here. I really enjoy our coaching staff. I like our playbook offensively. I love the guys here in the locker room. And I really think we're going to win a lot of football games here very soon. I think it's going to be a very exciting place to play and I want to be a part of that."

 

He also wanted to stay close to Manning, who has become his closest friend on the team. The two quarterbacks live in the same building a short ride from the stadium.

 

"Jesse was great last year helping me learn and getting comfortable with the offense," Manning said. "He's also been a good friend off the field, so I'm excited he's back. I think he wanted to be here, so I look forward to being back together and start preparing for the season."

 

Palmer did not play a down in the 2004 season, spending most of the season as the third quarterback behind Manning and Kurt Warner. He was active but did not play for the season finale against Dallas.

 

Palmer joined the team as a fourth-round draft choice from Florida in 2001. He was inactive as the third quarterback for every game his rookie season, then was elevated to the backup position and played in two games as a pro sophomore. In 2003, Palmer appeared in six games, including starts in the final three games after Kerry Collins was injured.

 

This has been an active offseason for Palmer. He purchased a home in Orlando, close to where his parents lived when he as at Florida. He did some charity work in his native Canada, and traveled to Mexico, Southern California and Prague. "I went to Prague by myself for five days," said Palmer, who was unable to go there during a six-week trip around Europe in 2003. "It was unbelievable. I couldn't recommend it to you more. It's a beautiful city. Everything about it was just outstanding."

 

Now he has returned to New Jersey, the Giants and the business of getting ready for the 2005 season. In addition to Miller, Palmer will face competition from Jared Lorenzen, who was with the Giants last spring, but did not play football in 2004.

 

"Realistically, the opportunity here is as good as anywhere else," Palmer said. "You come in and work hard and compete and let the cards fall where they may. I'm going to do what I've done since I've been here: work hard, play my best and let everything work itself out. As a competitor you want to play. But you need to take care of your own business and be the best player you can be.

 

"I've made a lot of friendships here in the locker room. I know realistically in the NFL friends often get sacrificed. This league is a business. I've been fortunate to play in a great city with great people and a lot of those guys are still here. I'm excited to come back to share some more time with these guys and hopefully win some games."

 

http://origin-www.giants.com/news/headlines/story.asp?story_id=6068

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is how you bring jack out of the woodwork.

[BlueInCanada]

Well time to sit Eli down and let a real QB show him how it's done.

[osi724dasack]

Palmer does a good job as a major college football analyst. He's got a good gig.

[jranieli]

Power move

[Virginia Giant]

Championship

[Nas]

Yet one more reason to believe this team has come a very long way.

[Sephiroth]

Uh... wasn't April Fool's Day last month?

[Chuck Wagon]

I think the time away from that disaster on MNF in New Orleans is just what he needed...not he can join with all the great University of Florida QBs in the NFL.

 

C. Wagon .